What Is The Best Digital Drawing Tablet

Staff

Whether y'all're a professional artist or an amateur dabbling in the craft for fun, a drawing tablet is a great way to practice and perfect your skill on an entirely new platform. Advanced tech has made it then that using a drawing tablet feels a lot like drawing on paper. If you lot've been considering making the jump from traditional drawing tools to a cartoon tablet—or if you already work with one simply are considering an upgrade—check out one of these superlative rated options for creating astonishing digital art.

Best Cartoon Tablets

What to Consider

Force per unit area Sensitivity: This is important for artists at every level because it sets the basis for how your lines and shading turn out. When you depict with pencil and paper, yous are in total control of applied pressure—you press harder for darker, more than solid shapes and shadows and apply softer force per unit area for gradient shading and lighter shapes. The same idea applies to digital drawing where practical pressure level tells the stylus and tablet exactly how thick and heavy your lines volition be. The more sensitive the stylus, the better the precision. The standard amount of pressure sensitivity for a tablet is iv,096 levels—sufficient if yous're non overly concerned with perfect precision. If you need about total control over your work, you lot'll want a stylus that offers more than pressure sensitivity; the best precision pens sit in the ballpark of viii,192 levels.

Hot Keys: Sometimes called express keys or keystrokes, these are buttons yous can customize to perform specific functions immediately without having to search for the function in a pull-downwardly menu. If you're the type of person who needs their presets, you'll want a tablet with this option (the amount of customizable hot keys depends on your tablet model.)

Connectivity: Some tablets offer Bluetooth connectivity, while other need to exist wired. If yous have a set work station, a wired option could exist the way to go. If you like to movement around while you piece of work, consider a wireless model for more than ease of utilise. You also need to consider your computer model as some drawing tablets might not be uniform with older computers.

Size: If you demand space for wide strokes and similar room to motility effectually your canvas, consider a bigger tablet. If you lot're able to contain your cartoon to a small space, a smaller size will do. If in that location's little room for flexibility in your budget, it'due south also important to consider that larger tablets are by and large pricier than smaller models.

[Like listening to music while you piece of work? Run across: The Best Surroundings Audio Systems]

How We Selected

We chose the best drawing tablets on this list based on customer reviews across diverse retailers like Amazon, Best Purchase, and more. Nosotros likewise looked for drawing tablets that came in different sizes, offered features such as hot keys, and wireless connectivity to fit individual needs. We as well chose models for beginners who are curious about trying a drawing tablet out without committing to a wildly expensive model amend suited for professionals working in digital media product. Don't worry, though—if you're looking for a top of the line drawing tablet, nosotros included some options for you, too.

Store the best deals on cartoon tablets at Amazon.

All-time Overall

Cintiq xvi Cartoon Tablet

The Cintiq 16 Drawing Tablet is a fan favorite amidst budding artists and more experienced creators alike thanks to its ease of use and features like a built-in anti-glare motion picture on the screen and two size options, depending on whether you want a sizable display (21.5-inches) or something more meaty (15.6-inches.)

The Hard disk drive brandish provides clarity and a detailed film as you work, and the Pro Pen 2 has virtually no lag make your strokes appear on screen exactly equally yous intended. The pen besides features hot keys y'all can customize to your liking (although the tablet itself does not) and offers 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt-recognition for precision. Also being a bit pricey, the merely drawback is that the Cintiq tin can't be used solo—it needs to be connected to a calculator.

Thousands of sensitivity pressure levels offering great precision

Cannot be used equally a standalone drawing pad

two

Professional Option

Intuos Pro Digital Graphic Drawing Tablet

Wacom touts the Intuos Pro every bit the professional person standard. This model is available in 3 sizes (Southward, M, and L), each with built-in Bluetooth connectivity. The small-scale tablet comes with half-dozen built-in hot keys (dubbed ExpressKeys by Wacom) and the medium and big models each feature eight hot keys. The Pro Pen ii boasts an impressive 8,192 pressure sensitivity levels.

Plus, the Intuos Pro comes in two additional models: the Intuos Pro Newspaper Edition in sizes medium and large. These models also come with the Pro Pen two in addition to Wacom's Finetip pen (also featuring 8,192 pressure sensitivity levels) and a built-in paper clip so that artists can more hands transition from working on paper to digital. The Paper Edition drawing tablets let y'all commencement sketching directly on the tablet or on paper with the ability to edit your work digitally.

Several models offer something for everyone

Pricey depending on model

iii

Good for Beginners

Artist12 Pro Graphics Drawing Tablet

This cartoon tablet features an 11.half dozen-inch display and, depending on what type of computer you accept, it doesn't require an adapter to plug into it—the tablet comes with a iii-in-1 USB cable. The Artist12 Pro also has a congenital-in dial and hot keys for a customizable experience while in use. Plus, the pen offers upward to eight,192 pressure sensitivity levels to recognize when yous want to describe thick and sparse lines or add together shading. There is almost zippo parallax, so yous tin come across exactly where the cursor is and depict with precision.

Useful built-in features like scratch-resistant and anti-glare surface

Some users noted the USB cablevision sticks out and gets in the mode

Pinnacle Budget Pick

Deco Mini7 Graphics Tablet

The Deco Mini7 comes with a USB-C adapter to let yous work beyond diverse digital platforms, including Chromebooks and even your telephone. This drawing tablet as well offer 8 hot keys—impressive for a smaller model—and is super portable weighing in at just over one-half a pound. The accompanying pen offers 60 degrees of tilt support to help yous bring your art to life with a mix of soft and sharp lines as needed. If you've been considering getting into digital art, starting with the Deco Mini7 is a solid choice. It'll give you a feel for drawing within a digital medium and it won't break the banking company.

Like shooting fish in a barrel to setup and utilise direct out of the box

Minor drawing expanse may non be suitable for all artists

Budget Pick Runner-upwardly

Intuos Drawing Tablet

Wacom's Intuos drawing tablet comes in 3 models: Intuos Southward, Intuos South with Bluetooth connectivity, and Intuos M with Bluetooth connectivity. All three models come up with the option to download up to three software packages and each tablet features 4 hot keys for optimized customization.

Additionally, each model comes with a pen that offers 4,096 pressure sensitivity levels and also has ii customizable hot keys congenital-in to the side for fast and easy access. The accompanying pen likewise has interchangeable flexible and felt tips stored inside the body of the pen to suit your unique drawing style. Thoughtful details—like the pen tray—make this a favorite among artists of all levels. Plus, starting around $80 makes information technology an affordable option, likewise!

Affordable

Smaller model may experience limiting

half-dozen

Solid Computer/Tablet Combo

iPad Pro

The iPad Pro and Apple Pencil make things like taking notes, creating artwork, and just nigh anything else you could recall of super easy thanks to the intuitive pattern of the Pencil (which you'll have to buy separately) that features tilt and pressure sensitivity for insanely precise lines and shading. While the iPad Pro is a estimator/tablet showtime, nosotros'd be remiss to exit it off this list—the drawing capabilities of the Pro are impressive. The 2nd gen Pencil attaches magnetically to the Pro so y'all never take to worry about it rolling abroad, and you can double tap the side of the stylus for a quick style to change tools.

Intuitive blueprint makes it like shooting fish in a barrel to use straight from the box

iPad doesn't come with Pencil

For Working on the Become

Surface Pro 7

Another computer commencement, drawing tablet second, there'southward almost nothing the Surface Pro 7 can't practice. Illustrators will capeesh the sophisticated design and the fact that this tablet is essentially an extension of a full desktop. If you lot're a professional person who mainly works in the Adobe artistic suite, using the Surface Pro 7 volition make working on the go easier than ever before. Like the iPad Pro, you'll have to beat out actress cash for the Surface Slim Pen, every bit this tablet doesn't come with ane.

A great multi-apply tablet

Doesn't come with stylus

For Newbies and Pros

One

The Wacom One lets you edit videos, drawings, and annotate documents as needed, and it is a neat pick for professional artists and newbies alike. A generously sized 13.three-inch screen allows a lot of room for letting your imagination run wild, and the included creative software is uniform with Windows, Mac, and some Android devices. in the outcome y'all want to effort more the included ergonomic One pen, this tablet is also compatible with leading digital pen brands as well. This drawing tablet was designed to feel similar you're working on paper and offers natural-feeling surface friction as you work, plus minimal reflection for an accurate paper experience.